Final chapter
-
Propped up on my elbow, my eyes were focused on the young woman still sleeping peacefully next to me. It had become somewhat of a ritual for me to watch Camila sleep for a little while before I got up. My fiancée definitely liked her sleep whereas I enjoyed starting the day earlier. But before I did, I had formed the small habit of staying in bed for a few minutes with her even if she wasn't awake. It was the best way to start the day.
At times I was still taken aback that this was how my day started now – every day; with her. The reality of us being together and not having separation looming in the not so far distance took time to process. For the first time we weren't living in different cities. And more importantly, for the first time our relationship had sustained a stability that made me excited to start off every single day with her.
My thoughts came to an abrupt end when I noticed Camila opening her eyes slowly. The lazy look in them made me smile instantly. She kept shutting and opening her eyes, gradually waking up from her slumber as I used my free hand to gently stroke her cheek. Her barely audible sigh of pleasure encouraged me to keep going. Only using the tip of my fingers to brush the loose strands of hair behind her ear, I appreciated all the moments that perhaps seemed minor to other people. To me, considering everything we had gone through, waking up to her like this was still special every time.
"Stop," Camila's raspy morning-voice suddenly said.
"Stop what?" I asked clearly surprised.
"Looking at me like that," she whispered bashfully. "I'm barely awake and have butterflies in my stomach already."
"Oh, I'm sorry," I chuckled and continued stroking the other brunette's hair. "I thought that was a good thing."
She didn't respond but simply closed her eyes again to revel in my light touches. Watching her drift in and out of her sleep was inexplicably adorable to me. Even her drowsiness was something I had fallen in love with. Being able to witness and share all those parts with each other didn't scare me like I had feared in the past. It was surprisingly easy to be vulnerable with her by now. I watched her chest moving rhythmically, breathing softly before focusing on her face again to see her eyes being open.
"No one has ever looked at me the way you do," Camila whispered apparently more awake this time.
"So now you like it?" I teased a little.
"Of course I do," she smiled at me which made my own heart flutter. "What are you thinking about?"
"Just...how lucky I am," I answered reciprocating her smile.
"You're such a smooth talker," she released a small laugh.
"No, I'm being serious," I said and took a deep breath. "I'm taking it all in that we've come this far. I mean...did you think we would ever end up here?"
"There was no way I could know, but I was hopeful," Camila revealed.
"Even after all the craziness we put each other through?" I couldn't help but grin slightly.
"Yes," her voice sounded determined. "I felt like our story wasn't finished. It wasn't that we didn't love each other because we did. But we weren't in the right situation. That's why I didn't lose hope when you broke up with me."
"Wait, hold up," I withdrew my hand from her hair. "I never broke up with you."
"Yes, you did," Camila disagreed immediately.
"When?" I genuinely wondered what she was talking about.
"After the whole custody debacle," she replied. "You came to the trial and we talked outside of the court house."
"I didn't break up with you, babe," I countered still smiling. "We were already broken up because you had broken up with me."
"Technically, yes," her response was hesitant. "However, it was just a few weeks and I wanted to get back together and you said No. That's kind of like a break-up."
"Nope," I shook my head. "Not the same thing at all. I refuse that. I never broke up with you."
"Technicalities," Camila chuckled and reached for my hand to place a soft kiss on the back of it.
"Which makes it ironic that you thought we could get back together when you always dumped me," I started teasing her again.
"Babe, stop," she pouted. "You're making me feel bad."
"Accept it. You were a heartbreaker," I said but kept smiling so she knew it was all in fun.
"I wouldn't say that I was a heartbreaker. Rather that I was petrified, scared and confused for a pretty long time," Camila reciprocated my smile.
"And I was an emotional mess with alcoholic tendencies. Match made in heaven," I replied and we both shared a laugh. The fact that we were able to laugh now said it all because we were in such a different place in our lives - individually and as a couple.
"It was a good thing we broke up," I concluded in hindsight. "If we had continued on that bad path, we probably wouldn't be here now."
"Exactly," my fiancée nodded and interlaced our fingers.
"But don't break up with me anymore, alright?" I couldn't help but tease her one more time.
"Never," Camila answered more seriously and looked deeply into my eyes. She lifted her head off the pillow for the first time and put her hand on my cheek. Pulling me closer, I felt her lips tenderly enclosing mine. The amount of sincerity and affection in the kiss caused butterflies in my stomach as well. She rested her forehead against mine afterwards and I loved whenever she did that. I leaned in slightly to place a soft kiss on the tip of her nose and then forehead.
"The fact that you're kissing me despite our morning breath makes me believe what you're saying," I joked and felt Camila gently shoving my shoulder so I was flat on my back while laughing.
"You're annoying," she said but joined in my laughter.
"I'm just kidding," I smiled widely and took both of her hands in mine, trying to pull her close to me. To my surprise, Camila didn't protest but swung one leg over to straddle me. "Okay, maybe I should be annoying more often." She didn't respond but simply looked me up and down while biting her bottom lip. I gulped since I didn't expect that reaction.
"I have an idea," she stated in a low voice and held both of my hands tightly in hers.
"What is that?" I wondered clearly intrigued.
She suddenly pinned my hands on the bed and leaned forwards so her face was relatively close to mine. I was definitely excited now and licked my lips as a reflex to prepare for a kiss. However, Camila tilted her head and went for my ear instead. The full lips kissed my earlobe before whispering: "I think we should brush our teeth since we have morning breath like you pointed out."
And with that she got off my lap and the bed, leaving me confused before I laughed.
"Well played," I chuckled as she went into the bathroom.
Wanting to follow her first, I looked at my watch on the nightstand and realized that I had to wake up Lara. I had plans with the little one this morning. As much as I wanted to join Camila in the bathroom and shower, I also knew that we would be in there for a while if I did. My commitment to Lara was my first priority today though. So I went into the other bathroom to get ready.
-
I felt a strong tug on my hand as Lara pulled me inside the confectionary. The establishment was filled with expositions of delicious cakes and pastries. The sugary treats obviously excited the little girl who quickly let go off my hand in order to explore the shop. I spotted an older woman walking up to me.
"Good morning," she greeted politely. "Can I help you with something or do you want to look around first?"
"Good morning," I replied quickly. "I'm looking for a wedding cake. Perhaps you could help with that since I have no clue about these things."
Never would I have thought that I'd be the one to take over most of the wedding organization but here I was. Since I had already picked out the venue in Orlando, I couldn't stop planning the day that would mean so much to Camila and I. The date was approaching fast because I didn't have a lot of time after coming back to New York. Although the wedding wasn't going to be too big, I wanted to make sure it was going to be special.
"Of course," the woman with black hair nodded with a big smile and told me to follow her. "We have some examples over here and also a booklet with the more special cakes we have done in the past."
As I took the booklet, Lara appeared out of thin air it seemed.
"I want to see!" she urged in a high-pitched voice.
"You brought some assistance, I see," the connectionist realized and smiled even wider. "Is this your daughter?"
"Yes," I suddenly heard myself answering without any hesitation. It surprised me for some reason but Lara didn't seem to mind at all. She was more interested in all the cakes on display.
"Here," the woman offered another booklet to the girl next to me. "I'm Sarah, by the way. What's your name?"
"Lara," she answered and tilted her head in the same manner Camila did when she was curious about something. "Can you make a cake out of pancakes?"
I couldn't help but burst out into laughter.
"A wedding cake out of pancakes?" the woman was clearly confused at first. "I mean...there's nothing we can't do."
"Lara, I love you," I grinned at the girl. "But pancakes are our thing so I don't want to share that with everyone."
"That's true," she nodded confidently. "Oh! Look at this one!" she pointed to huge cake in the booklet that was larger than herself. "No, wait. The blue one is really pretty. And the white one too...can we get more than one cake? Please."
"That's not how it works unfortunately," I gave back smiling. "But we can pick a cake for the wedding and we'll definitely take some things from in here home."
"Okay," Lara agreed. "Which cake do you like?"
"I think they all look great," I said honestly and scratched the side of my head.
"Do you have a specific theme for the wedding or any colors that are important?" the shop owner asked with interest.
"My idea for the wedding is a mixture of classic romance and a touch of greenery," I explained. "It's elegant but also natural. The color palette is sage, blush and rose."
"Well, it sounds like you have more of a clue about things as you think," she returned and turned a few pages so the booklet revealed a cake that was simply perfect. "This is a cake we made last year for couple that had similar ideas about their wedding. It's a four tier cake of almond butter, layered with housemade marionberry preserves, crème fraîche and French vanilla buttercream. The decoration simple, floral but you have that greenery touch."
"Sold," I said without any hesitation.
"Okay then," the woman laughed. "You're making my job easy."
"No, you're making my job easy, trust me," I said in a mixture of relief and bliss.
"Can we get some pastries now?" Lara whined.
"How about this?" the connectionist offered. "Your mom is going to fill out some stuff for me so I know what to do in order to make this cake perfect; but in the meantime, I'll get you a sample of what the cake will taste like. Sound good?"
Lara simply nodded frantically and I watched in endearment. All of a sudden, I remembered the very first time I had seen her. The then three year-old had taken up a spot in my heart immediately. It felt like a lifetime ago that I had seen her run up to Camila in the park after I had taken an epic fall. A part of me almost couldn't believe we had gotten this far.
I bent down and placed a soft kiss on the child's forehead. Lara didn't mind and only smiled joyfully while waiting for the piece of cake. The fact that my affection was so well received, as well as my general presence in her life, was a major factor why Camila and I had even stood a chance. I had never taken Lara's trust and love for me for granted. But it was only lately that I realized how important she had always been to me finding peace in a lot of ways.
-
"I think I'm having a heart attack."
My heart was beating at a pace that I couldn't control. It was very different from the times I had run across the soccer field or done any physical activities that pumped my heart rate. The cause of my heart seemingly exploding in my chest was the fact that I was going to get married in a few minutes!
"What?" my sister Taylor, who was also my maid of honor asked confused.
"Is this what a heart attack feels like?" I put my hand on my chest, above the soft fabric of the wedding dress to feel my heart pounding."
"How would I know? I've never had one," my younger sibling answered nonchalantly as I kept pacing the room. She was the only one with me and everyone else was already outside for the ceremony...the wedding ceremony...my wedding ceremony. Until now everything had gone well. The venue was beautiful, the weather was perfect and all of my efforts to make this day as perfect as possible had paid off. There was a little voice in my head that said something had to go wrong. It was a wedding after all.
"Jesus Christ," Taylor said and approached me. "You've been super relaxed this entire time and now you're nervous?"
"What if forget something? What if I forget my vows?" I worried.
"You've written them down, Lauren. The paper is right here," she tried to sooth me.
"What if I trip?"
"You're a professional athlete. Balance shouldn't be an issue for you," her answers barely registered due to my panic mode.
"Is Camila even here? I mean...I know I wasn't supposed to see her but what if she's not here?" I was clearly talking myself into a frenzy now.
"She's here. I've seen her," Taylor kept her calm.
"How are the guests doing? Do they look happy? Is everything going well outside?" I kept questioning and my sister threw her hands up in the air.
"Hold on," she said and left the room before I could protest.
About two minutes passed before she came back but she wasn't alone. All of a sudden, I realized Camila was with her.
"What the fuck, Taylor?! We're not supposed to see each other before the wedding!" I yelled out and had already covered my eyes with my hand quickly.
"She's the only person who can calm you down, alright. I'm not going to continue your meltdown when you're getting married," she argued.
"It's bad luck," I shot back.
"I think we can handle it," Camila's heavenly voice chimed in. "Plus, we're not being very traditional anyways. So what's wrong?"
"Nothing...I'm just nervous," I confessed and heard steps approaching.
"Don't be," she replied calmly. "Everything is going well."
Taking a deep breath, I dropped my hand and looked at the woman standing about two steps away from me. Not only did my hand drop, but my jaw as well. I was absolutely taken aback at how beautiful she looked. Granted, she was always beautiful but the heightened emotion of the situation caused my entire heart to suddenly swell not explode. Now I was happy to see her beforehand because I definitely would've stumbled on my words seeing her like this for the first time out there.
Neither of us wore overzealous wedding gowns. We had even considered not wearing white wedding dresses at all but a part of me wanted to have some classical elements. Perhaps I was more of a traditionalist than I realized. However, I hadn't seen what Camila had chosen to wear. The embroidered knee-length dress was made of lace on tulle, and featured a lace illusion neckline and back. It was playful but still elegant without overdoing it.
She wore her hair up, which she rarely did ever, which made the surprise even better; only a subtle, white headband with a few sparkling diamonds on them contrasted the brown hair. There wasn't a lot of jewelry except for her earrings but I was too mesmerized looking at her dazzling smile and glinting eyes.
"Lauren?" I heard my name and realized that Camila was talking to me. "Are you alright? You're not pulling a last minute runaway bride, right?"
"No," I was too choked up to speak at first. "I'm...sorry. This is...you are...you look...I can't even speak right now," my voice was obviously thick with emotion.
"Don't make me tear up already," she smiled widely. "I'm trying to hold it together because seeing you like this isn't easy either."
I noticed a light shimmer in her eyes as they wandered up and down for a moment. My dress was very different from hers in the sense that it was longer and tight-fitted. It was also made out of lace with a high neckline. I wore my hair down in long waves because I felt more comfortable like that. Taylor said I looked like a mermaid which was an odd comparison to me but since Arielle was one of Lara's favorite movies, I hoped it was a good thing.
Completely immersed in my thoughts, I didn't realize that Camila had taken a step closer until I felt her hand touching mine.
"Why don't we just walk out together?" she asked quietly and I finally managed to calm down enough to smile.
"That sounds perfect," I nodded in agreement.
Traditions were nice but since Camila's parents weren't there to begin with, I didn't want my father walking me down the aisle anyways. Walking out together symbolized just the right message – we had gone through a lot together but the important part was that we were still moving forward, hand in hand.
So we did.
It was all a blur to me. I was barely able to contain my tears. All the familiar faces at the ceremony were wonderful to see. Yet all I could focus on was the woman standing in front of me now. Somehow I had made it out to the wedding arch where the man officiating the wedding received us. The fresh air and silent sounds of the lake water around us calmed me down. Until it was time for the vows and I was up first.
"Okay," I took a very deep breath and blocked out everyone around.
Lara was standing next to Camila and held our rings. The little girl stepped up and obviously knew it was her time to give me the ring for her mother. To her, and everyone else's surprise, I was given a ring by Taylor first. The child whose hazel eyes were looking at me in confusion was stunned when I motioned her closer to me.
"I'm not making one commitment today but two," I started speaking as steadily as I could in that moment. "From the beginning, I knew this was a package deal. And I thank the universe's parcel service for giving me the package I didn't know I had been waiting for all of my life."
"I promise to always be there for you," I continued while bending down to be on Lara's level. "Whether that means playing soccer together, laughing and crying with you, teaching you to draw or whatever else it is that you need. I promise to always be your Pancakes, even if you think you're too grown up to call me that anymore."
Lara was seemingly surprised by my words but smiled the entire time. I saw a tear rolling down her cheek when she realized the ring Taylor had given me was for her. Gently taking her hand, she let me slip on the golden ring. I had barely let go of her hand when she came closer and hugged me. Now it was definitely too late to hold back and I felt a few tears leaving my eyes as well.
Exchanging a joyful smile with Lara, I let go and stood back up to see Camila. She was deeply moved. The woman was wiping several tears and I had made a conscious effort not to look at her during this because I knew I would crack.
"I'm already bawling," Camila laughed softly and was handed a tissue. "Sorry, I'm a mess."
"It's okay. You're perfect," I whispered and tried to keep my composure so I could continue.
"Okay, I'm good," the young woman said with a deep inhale of air.
Taking her hand in mine, I didn't need the piece of paper with my vows on it.
"I'll never forget the moment I knew I loved you," I began speaking although my voice was a lot more shaky now than it had been with Lara. "You told me to let myself fall. You told me that you'd catch me. Up until that moment, I didn't let myself fall because I was too afraid of what would happen. But with you I did. And you caught me; over and over again. No matter how many times I reverted to old ways, you were there to understand and support me. What you didn't realize was that letting myself fall also meant falling in love with you every single time."
"I don't think I can describe what you mean to me," I had to take a small break because seeing Camila cry again, even if it was out of happiness, choked me up. "We've been on this journey together for a while and this is another milestone among many. From the raging teenager to the wise pillar of support, I have loved every version of you. And I will continue to love every version of you because the core of you never changes. The core that doesn't give up on anything or anyone; that sees people beyond their struggles and flaws; that doesn't love from a place of brokenness but a place of peace and hope. You have helped me to learn how to hope, how to trust and how to love. It's because of you that I can truly say that I love you and know what that feels like."
"This is my very long-winded way of saying that I love you and I always will. You've caught my heart and given it a safe home which is all it ever needed."
As soon as I ended my vows, I felt a mixture of relief and incomparable bliss. My words had resonated with Camila, who was crying throughout them but didn't stop looking at me for a single second. The fear of not being able to express my true feelings had always been there but this moment diminished the last shred of feeling inadequate. All I could do was look at her with the same amount of affection before sliding the piece of jewelry on her finger. Her hand was shaking as was mine. She gave me the biggest smile afterwards.
"Camila, it's your turn," the man officiating the wedding said.
"I think I need a second," she returned with a gentle laugh. I took the time and looked at the about fifty people watching the ceremony. The person that immediately caught my eye was Dinah. I had never seen her cry until now. Seeing her reaction made me even more emotional because Dinah was the closest thing Camila had to a family, a sibling. Knowing that I had touched her with my words was humbling. Turning back to Camila, I met the brown orbs filled with tears but mostly love.
"I can honestly say that I have lost count of how many vows I've written over the past few weeks," the younger woman began and I tried my best to listen without losing my composure. "All of them were thirty minutes long because I would end up listing all the reasons why I love you. It wasn't until last night that I realized it wasn't important how many reasons you have for loving someone; it's about having the right reasons to love to someone."
She had barely started and I felt the first salty droplet rolling down my cheek. I tried wiping it but I knew there were too many to follow.
"When we met, I was numb," the soothing voice resumed while holding my hand gently in hers. "The world around me wasn't of any interest to me anymore. I thought I had lost my ability to care for other people. You were the complete opposite of me. I was a loner, you were the team captain. I was a hothead, you were the diplomat. I was angry, and you were kind. That kindness, especially towards me, slowly changed everything. You saw something in me that I couldn't see anymore. Anger was the only way I knew how to react; it was my default emotion. Being reminded that I was capable of other feelings, threw me for a loop. But I knew you had changed something in me forever."
"They say the eyes are the windows to the soul," Camila smiled softly for a moment. "After knowing you, I wholeheartedly concur. I've never felt as loved as when you look at me. You have a gift of seeing beneath people's surface and seeing them for who they truly are. That look you give me hasn't changed from the U17 soccer camps until now. And looking through your emerald windows, I see the most caring, gentle and tender soul I've ever come across. You care so much about other people and don't realize how rare that is. The carefulness with which you treat other people's feelings is unlike anything I've ever seen. You make the world a better place by doing things you deem as normal."
"Those are just a few reasons why I love you and I could list a thousand more," she took yet another deep breath. "But more importantly, I love you for all the right reasons. I always will."
I felt the matching ring being put on my finger but I couldn't stop looking at her. My vision was slightly blurry from all the tears so I had to wipe some of them with my free hand. I was completely entranced by her words and eyes so I didn't even hear the man allowing us to kiss. All I registered was Camila cupping my face in her hands and instinctively meeting her halfway. My lips trembled and I felt hers doing the same. Neither of us wanted to let this moment pass. I didn't hear our friends and family cheering. The only sound I heard was my wife's little sob of relief when I pulled away to look at her. Placing another soft kiss of reassurance on her lips was all I cared about in that moment.
The ceremony ended and the emotional part was over now which wasn't a bad thing. All the guests were mingling, eating, drinking and dancing. Dinah and Lara were devouring the cake as I made my rounds to talk to people. It was surprisingly easy to be around them even if they were drinking. The fact that my mother was here, also sober and being able to enjoy this day with me meant a lot. Before I could continue my thought, I felt Camila grabbing my hand.
"Hey," she smiled widely.
"Hey you," I replied. "You look happy."
"I'm the happiest I've ever been," her answer was genuine. "There is only one thing I want right now."
"What is that?" I wondered.
"Kiss me," she whispered and I couldn't help but grin. She knew exactly how much I loved it whenever she asked me to kiss her. There was something so endearing yet sexy to her saying it instead of simply doing it.
"Gladly," I answered just above a whisper before sealing our lips in a sweet kiss.
"I just talked to your mom and she wouldn't stop asking me where we're going for our honeymoon," Camila revealed.
"I don't even know where we're going," I giggled cheerily.
"It's a surprise. You planned the entire wedding and I get to plan the honeymoon. That was the deal," she reiterated.
"I know," I nodded and put one arm around her waist. "Usually I don't like surprised but in this case I'm game. Did you tell her though?"
"Hell no!" she laughed. "She would tell you in a heartbeat."
"Yeah probably," I agreed. "I'm sorry your parents didn't come."
"Don't be," the brown-eyed woman shook her head immediately. "They're not ready and I'm okay with it. We're making progress. They send us a gift which I didn't even expect. All that matters is that we're happy."
"Excuse me! It is my duty as the maid of honor to make a toast," Dinah's voice suddenly echoed everywhere as I saw her with a glass of champagne and a microphone.
"Oh God, here we go," I muttered under my breath which made Camila laugh.
"Camila and Lauren," Dinah's eyes wandered until she saw us. "Congratulations on a fabulous wedding. It's a little strange to see how far we've come. I remember you two arguing as teenagers about which play was the best to make in order to win a soccer game. We all know how those arguments ended; Camila basically just did what she thought was best and Lauren let her do it. Some things never change."
We both laughed as well as some of the guests, especially those who were also players. Those arguments had happened on a daily basis at camp in the beginning.
"And I have to be honest, all that back and forth back then made for a great romantic story but...that shit was exhausting!" Dinah had everyone laughing loudly now. "I'm sorry for swearing but it's the truth. One day you were making out, the next one you were screaming at each other and I thought you were both crazy."
"Anyway, as someone who has been there from day one, I can sincerely say that I have rarely seen two people care so deeply for each other," Camila's best friend added more seriously. "Your growth as individuals and as a couple is inspiring. And exhausting as it was, I'm honored to be a witness to your love. Cheers."
"Cheers!" everyone echoed and rose their glasses.
Her speech was definitely one of the highlights of the wedding for me. The rest of the night went smoothly. All the guests seemed content and a lot of us had stayed up very late. I didn't want it to end because it was the happiest the day of my life. Yet I knew that every day going forward was going to be just as important as this one, as long as I had Camila with me.
-
Standing in the crowded airport, I still had no idea where my wife was taking me for our honeymoon. We had sent off most of the wedding guests this morning. The last people we had seen were Lara and Dinah who had just boarded the plane back to New York. There Lara was going to stay with Austin until we returned.
Camila and I had barely slept. The wedding festivities had gone on for a long time and we certainly didn't sleep when we got back to the hotel room. As drained as I felt, I was also excited to finally find out where we were going. We had two and a half weeks until our schedules with the New York team were back on and we were officially going to play for the same team again since Boston.
"Okay, the secret has to be revealed," I turned to my wife. "I'm dying to find out where we are going."
"Do you have a guess?" she wondered and kinked an eyebrow.
"I do but I don't want to ruin it," I admitted.
"No, say it," she smiled and bit her bottom lip.
"London?" I guessed carefully. "Because you know that's my favorite city but it's probably not that easy."
"I'm surprised you didn't get it," Camila said. "I thought it was going to be obvious and almost changed it because of that but apparently it's not." The other brunette pulled out two tickets and handed me one of them.
"Paris," I whispered and smiled widely as soon as I read it. "Of course, I'm such an idiot."
"We didn't get to enjoy Paris the way we should have and I think you'll fall in love with the city as much as did," she explained her reasoning. "We'll be there for a week and then we'll go on to the French Riviera which I haven't seen either. Do you like it?"
"It's perfect," I nodded with a big smile. "This way we'll get to overwrite the bad moments in Paris and make it what it was always supposed to be."
"Exactly," Camila concurred. "And you what I just realized? I'm starting to love airports."
"Oh really?" I laughed and felt her arms folding around my neck.
"It's like you said with overwriting the bad memories and making new ones," she answered full of conviction. "The last time we were at an airport and I was going to Paris wasn't exactly our finest moment. Now we get the moment we wanted because we made the choices that we needed."
"I couldn't have said it better," I agreed and kissed her lips lovingly. "I love you and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together."
"I love you too," she replied with another kiss. "The first day of forever."
"The first day of forever," I whispered and offered my hand. Her fingers intertwined with mine and we made our steps through the airport, knowing our destination. The journey behind us had been long and at times strenuous but it had brought us here. After many endings and many new beginnings, this was the beginning we had always envisioned. For the vision to become reality, the journey had been necessary and neither of us would trade it for any other path. As for most of the other people in the airport, one journey ends and another begins.
THE END
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A/N: There is its. I finally finished. There will be an epilogue but it will be short and sweet. So don't worry, I won't break anyone's heart at the very end. It is a very bittersweet feeling to write this last chapter and I'm not sure I can put into words what this story has meant to me. Perhaps I'll be better at explaining after the epilogue because I haven't written it yet.
As sure as I was that CC7 would end with Lauren and Camila not being together, I was just as sure they would be together at the end of LJ10 if I wrote it. LJ10 was by far the hardest story to write. Mostly because it was a time issue, but also because it took a lot of healing to mend what the characters had gone through. Similarly to DIWK, I needed Lauren and Camila to have this "win" at the end because I want to win. Although I realize that this is a love story, to me it's the story of two people who healed themselves with help of the other. The story was therapy for me in a lot of ways. Therefore I want to thank every single person who read this story. I'll get more into that after the epilogue.
Until then, I hope you enjoyed this tumultuous journey with me because I certainly did. To think that this started over three years ago with a one shot of CC7 is pretty unbelievable. Thank you for the unwavering support and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Have a lovely Sunday – Jazmin